A Thousand Words
by hiddenheart519
Summary: Glynda Goodwitch is the strict, intimidating Deputy Headmistress of Beacon Academy in Vale, but there's more to her than the students at Beacon know, and Ruby Rose is about to discover that.
1. A Thousand Words

Ruby Rose sighed. Another test, and most likely another low grade. Another patronizing look from Weiss. Another "you'll-do-better-next-time" speech from Yang. Another sleepless night of studying in an attempt to make it up. Another round of the same tiring and confusing cycle that was her math class.

Ruby stared glumly at the paper in her hands that was due in Professor Cobalt's class tomorrow afternoon. The halls of Beacon were empty, with the time being so close to curfew, but the caped girl didn't notice.

Ruby didn't notice the man until she had nearly run into him. Her heart jumped against her ribs, silver eyes widening. "Professor Ozpin!"

The Headmaster had a faint amused smirk on his lips. "Miss Rose."

"I-I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going and its dark and i-" Ruby stammered.

Ozpin chuckled. "Don't worry, Miss Rose, no harm done. I must say though, you do seem quite far from your dorm room."

"Oh, yeah... I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going..." Ruby said forlornly.

"Well you might want to start heading back. Curfew is close," Ozpin remarked. He smiled, leaning casually on his cane. "You wouldn't want to end up like Miss Belladonna, would you?"

Ruby laughed lightly. Blake had gotten detention too many times to count for breaking curfew by losing track of time while reading in the library. A few times, Blake had even been dragged back to Team RWBY's dorm room by her shirt collar by the librarian, who wanted nothing more than to just go home and sleep.

Ruby smiled glancing away. "I totally _didn't_ forget what time curfew is," She said, rolling her eyes.

Ozpin glanced at his watch. "In... ten minutes."

Ruby's heart dropped. Shed never get back to the dorm in time, even with her semblance! She was on the complete opposite side of the immense campus! She sighed.

"What's that paper for?" Ozpin asked.

Ruby glanced at the 'test'. "Oh, it's a paper in Cobalt's."

"Yours?"

"Yeah I was having some trouble with it," the young girl admitted.

"Why not ask Professor Cobalt?" Ozpin inquired.

"I don't want her to think i can't do it. She thinks i can do better, and i want to show her i can."

"Well," Ozpin said, shooting her a sympathetic look, "I know for a fact Professor Goodwitch is in her office and won't be leaving for at least another hour. She excelled in all her math classes. Maybe she can help you."

"G-Goodwitch?" Ruby asked nervously. The stern, blonde professor was one of the _last_ people she wanted to ask for help. It wasn't that Ruby didn't _like_ the professor, it was just that she was completely terrifying.

"Mm hm. I was just there. Tell her I sent you."

"Th-thank you, Professor," Ruby said as he began to walk down the dark hallway. "Wait! Professor Ozpin?"

Ozpin turned. "Yes, Miss Rose?"

"Is what Professor Peach says true?"

"And what does Professor Peach say?" Ozpin asked.

"That you and Professor Goodwitch..." Ruby trailed off awkwardly, trusting the Headmaster could fill in the blank.

"Goodnight, Miss Rose." Without another word, Ozpin turned away and continued down the hall.

If it weren't so dark, Ruby might have sworn he smiled.

Glynda Goodwitch glared at the Scroll, typing out tomorrow's lesson, grumbling to herself. "Damn Ozpin... thinks he can just _waltz_ right in here... say whatever her wants... start _more_ rumors... well, it could have been worse, I suppose... he could have kissed me..." Glynda's voice took on a softer, more thoughtful tone. "...not that I would have minded..." She shook her head. "Gah what am I thinking?" she demanded. She kept typing in silence, green eyes narrowed. She sighed. "Maybe..." She glared. "No don't think that. Strictly business, that's all it is. Strictly business," she reassured herself firmly.

She sighed, setting the Scroll down. She opened a drawer, pulling out a worn, old-fashioned photo album. She turned expertly to the first page, decorated with a group picture. Glynda smiled softly at the young, carefree faces. She turned the page to a picture of four, the opposite page holding four pictures. One of the three was two dark haired girls, one of a blonde haired girl and a girl with silver eyes, another of a group of four, and one of a boy and a girl. Glynda's fingertips traced the last picture, smiling wistfully. "Strictly business," she breathed.

"Uh, Professor Goodwitch?" a hesitant voice asked.

Glynda looked up, quickly turning the page back to the group picture, desperately hoping the late-night visitor hadn't been standing there long enough to hear the words the woman had muttered.

It was Ruby Rose.

Glynda checked the time. "It's after curfew."

"P-Professor Ozpin sent me."

Of course he did. Anything to make her job harder.

"He said you could help me with this..." Ruby said, reluctantly holding up a piece of paper.

Glynda told Ruby to come in and took the page from the hooded girl.

"Math?" Glynda asked. "Ozpin sent you here— _after curfew_ -for math homework?"

"Y-yes ma'am," Ruby said quickly.

Glynda scanned the page, pushing her glasses. "Hm."

Ruby ducked her head. Here it goes, the "but-it's-so-simple" routine. Before the woman could start, Ruby piped up, "I know it's probably really simple, I've heard it before. It just doesn't make any sense! For almost a month, I haven't asked for help because a team leader shouldn't need it, but it's..." Ruby sighed.

Glynda nodded understandingly. "It's either this or fail the class," she finished. One of her own teammates had faced the same problem, years ago.

"Yeah..." Ruby agreed shortly, her voice sad.

"Very well." Glynda nodded to a chair near the opposite wall. "Get the chair."

"Yes, Professor." Ruby hurriedly fetched the seat, pulling it up beside Glynda's as the Huntress lay the paper down on the desk, studying it thoughtfully.

"No, Miss Rose, this math is not simple if you don't know the basics, and would it be incorrect of me to assume that is the case?" Glynda asked.

Ruby nodded faintly, her thoughts far away from math and her eyes on Glynda's desk.

Glynda narrowed her eyes at the destracted girl, pushing up her glasses. "Miss Rose, you came for help. I strongly suggest you pay attention," she snapped. _I could be in bed right now_ , she grumbled silently, though she was well aware she'd most likely be working here in her classroom rather than sleeping in her room at Beacon.

Without answering the agitated woman, Ruby looked curiously at the sight before her. "Who are they?" she asked, pointing.

Glynda's green eyes widened. She hadn't put the photo album away!

The page was still open to the group picture.

Gently, Ruby lifted up the book from under the math paper, studying the picture with awe-stricken silver eyes. "Is that you?"

Resisting the urge to yank the book, which was full of personal and private aspects of the stern woman's past, Glynda looked at the student that Ruby's finger indicated.

She nodded. "That's me."

Ruby looked at her. "How old were you?"

Glynda studied the picture. "I believe I had just turned eighteen, or I would have been soon."

"Who are the rest of the people?" Ruby asked curiously.

Taking a breath, trying to relax, Glynda began to point out the faces. Some of the names were familiar to the young girl, and she threw in comments every now and then.

" _That's_ the General? He looks so different!"

"Jake Line… that's the Deputy Headmistress at Kronos in Atlas, right? You two were friends?"

"Ozpin doesn't look any different."

"Oobleck and Port were on a team together? So _that's_ why Oobleck puts up with him."

"Is that…"

Glynda looked up at Ruby. The girl's silver eyes were glued to the face of a young woman with her team. The woman had short dark hair and silver eyes, looking very much like Ruby herself.

"Is that my mother?"

Glynda nodded slowly. "You resemble her greatly." Then the woman turned the page to the pictures she had been reminiscing over when Ruby had entered the room. "There's the entire team."

"Who are they all?" Ruby asked curiously.

"The boy on the left is Qrow Branwen, the girls are his sister Raven and her partner Summer, and the last boy is Taiyang." Glynda smiled fondly at the picture. "Team STRQ."

"Stark…" Ruby repeated. "My mother led the team?"

"Yes."

Ruby's gaze drifted to the picture on the right. "Those were your teammates?"

Glynda nodded, smiling. "Ozpin and I, as well as the Bridge twins, Ryder and Necron. Necron took all the pictures in here," she explained, lightly tapping the photo album.

Ruby looked back at the pictures on the left. She smiled softly. "You were close to my mother?" she asked, looking at the second picture, showing young Glynda and Summer, both smiling brightly.

"Not as close as she and her partner," Glynda admitted, "but yes, we were."

Ruby paused. "Do you miss her?" the hooded girl asked quietly.

"I do," Glynda said in a soft voice. "We took her loss..." she exhaled. "...hard. Especially Ozpin."

"Why?" Ruby asked.

"Ozpin and Summer trained together often. He considered her one of his closest friends."

"Did he love her?"

The question caught Glynda by surprise, and for the first time in years Glynda found herself asking the same thing. "No. They were friends. Nothing more."

She nodded, satisfied with the answer. "He loved you though, didn't he?" Ruby asked, eyeing the last picture. Ozpin had his arm slung around Glynda's shoulder as the latter was trying to read. Ozpin had been laughing at the irritated but faintly amused look Glynda had shot him.

"No," Glynda replied shortly. "Then and now, our relationship has been strictly business." A small voice in the back of Glynda's mind pointed out that going out of his way to make her blush and kissing her at the most inconvenient times didn't fall into the category _strictly business_ , but Glynda ignored that logic.

"Professor Peach doesn't think so," Ruby commented lightly.

"Professor Peach doesn't know what she's talking about," Glynda snapped.

"Professor?" she asked tentatively.

"Hm?"

"Do you think..." she started. "Could I have one? Of my mother?"

Glynda smiled. Silently, she reached over and slipped the picture of Summer and Raven out of its slot. She turned a few pages and pulled out one of the Team pictures of Team STRQ. Lastly, she found one of Summer all alone. She held them out to the smiling student. "Here. I have plenty. Necron took more pictures than any of us knew what to do with."

Ruby beamed. "Thank you," she breathed, eyes glued to the pictures.

"You're welcome, Miss Rose. Now you should be getting to bed."

"But the math-!" Ruby began to protest.

"I'll explain to Professor Cobalt that you were working with me and you can be given another day," Glynda said dismissively.

Ruby smiled brightly. "Thank you, Professor. See you in class tomorrow," she said, rising, taking her paper one hand and her pictures in the other hand, waving as she left the classroom.

Glynda smiled at the young girl, closing the album and hiding back at the bottom of the drawer, deciding Ruby wasn't the only one who needed to get to bed.

Ruby slowly made her way through the halls, smiling faintly at the pictures in her hands. By the time she looked up, she had found that she had unconsciously led herself to her dorm room. She pulled out her Scroll, slid it through the slot, and opened the door.

Something strong and warm barreled into her, crushing the young girl against itself. All the air in Ruby's lungs was expelled as her arms were pinned to her sides.

"Ruby!" she heard a familiar voice cry. The thing that had clutched her so tightly held her out at arm's length, not lessening its grip. "Where have you _been_?" Ruby found herself looking into her older sister Yang's concerned lilac eyes. "I was so _worried_..." the blonde breathed, pulling Ruby into another bear hug.

"Sorry Yang," Ruby choked out, gasping for breath. "I was with Professor Goodwitch."

"Goodwitch? Why? Did she give you detention?" she demanded hurriedly, looking Ruby in the eyes.

Taking a deep breath of air, Ruby shook her head. "No."

"I was about to come looking for you. It's almost midnight," Yang said.

Ruby checked the clock on the desk in the middle of the room. Her sister was right. Ruby had spent nearly an hour with Glynda, looking at old pictures. "Sorry, sis," Ruby apologized.

Yang sighed. "Just text me next time, Rubes."

"Of course, Yangie. Can I go to bed now?"

Yang sighed. "Yeah," she breathed.

Ruby lightly hugged her sister around the shoulders, stretching up on her tiptoes to reach. "Night, Yang!"

"Goodnight, Ruby."

Ruby changed into her pajamas quickly as Yang got into bed. Ruby tucked her precious pictures safely under her pillow with a last loving look and crawled into bed. Withing minutes she was snoring softly, but Yang was still wide awake, watching the ceiling silently. She lay like that for almost half an hour before standing to find something to occupy herself. She looked out the window at the broken moon for a moment, before something on the ground caught her eyes.

Yang bent to retrieve it, holding it into the moonlight so she could see it. It was a paper, and the sight made her gasp and nearly drop it.

It was a picture of two young women, one with red hair and silver eyes, the other with black hair and red eyes, laughing with their arms slung playfully around each other.

One of them Yang recognized from fuzzy and painful memories as Summer Rose.

The other one though...

Yang _knew_ her.

That woman... the one with the shining red eyes...

It was the woman she had asked Junior to look for...

The woman with Summer...

Was her _mother_.

 **A/N: Quick note-the name "Professor Cobalt" does not belong to me, it belongs to SoloRogueStudios from their story _The Marvelous Misadventures of Ozpin and Glynda._ It's one of my favorites. If any of you ship OzGlyn, check it out (just watch the rating).**


	2. Strictly Business

The clock tower in the distance struck three, and the students in the classroom stiffened, all eyes turned towards the professor, silently asking for permission to leave. The professor turned her vibrant green eyes to the clock hanging above her desk. "Go," she said, turning back to her work.

The students rushed out the door. They had learned within the first month of the school year not to leave their seats before this professor dismissed them, unless the wanted a door magically slammed in their face and telepathically shoved back into their seats.

The professor didn't even glance at the students as they shuffled out the door of her plain classroom. They talked as they departed, throwing teasing insults, terrible jokes, and idle chatter she didn't bother to listen to. Once, maybe she would have, but not now.

"Have a good day, Professor Goodwitch!" one voice called, and the professor looked up, astonished.

It was Ruby Rose, the young leader of Team RWBY, waving and smiling at Professor Glynda Goodwitch as she left. For a split second, Glynda almost returned the kind gestures, but she immediately thought better of it. The move would be too open, too public, and rumors spread through Beacon Academy like wildfire, despite the school's massive size. _Did you see Goodwitch? She actually_ _ **smiled**_ _at a student! Maybe she's not so scary after all..._ Glynda couldn't have that. She had to maintain the cold, stern, formidable Deputy Headmistress form that the Hunters in training were so wary of.

Ruby's teammate and older sister, Yang Xiao Long, pulled the girl out of the classroom, speaking hurriedly to her. "Did you just _wave_ at Goodwitch?!"

"And _smile_?" Weiss Schnee, Ruby's partner, added in shock. The fourth member of team RWBY, a quiet girl who always (with right now being no exception) had her nose in a book named Blake Belladonna, trailed slowly after them, obviously unconcerned with Ruby's actions.

Ruby shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, sure. She's one of my favorite teachers."

Yang's and Weiss's eyes widened. "She's _what_?"

Glynda's shock, though she kept it from changing her indifferent expression, mirrored the two girls. No student had called her their favorite teacher in years.

The last four girls left the room, their conversation echoing back faintly, and the familiar, if haunting, silence had settled over her classroom once again. She turned to the last sheet of paperwork she had to finish, completing it effortlessly.

"Knock, knock!" a sickeningly cheerful voice called from the doorway and Glynda gave a low, irritated groan.

"Hello, Professor Peach..."

"Aw, Glynda, we don't need the formalities! There aren't any students around!" the young woman ended with a giggle.

Glynda grit her teeth. No one was allowed to call her by her first name, and Penelope Peach was well aware of that, but did the Dust damned woman care? _No_! Glynda could already almost feel the headache Peach was giving her by just _being_ there. Peach had barely graduated her own hunting school in Vacuo before applying for the teaching job at Beacon, where a position for Most Frustrating Teacher-er, Grimm Behavioral Class had just opened up. Almost instantly, the Professor (who was practically a student, herself!) had found a perfect object to tease:

Glynda Goodwitch and Headmaster Ozpin.

Ozpin easily and calmly deflected Peach's constant string of prying and deeply personal questions, and so Peach bugged him considerably less often. However, Glynda's firm and heated denials that there was anything beyond friendship between herself and the Headmaster only strengthened Peach's "theory", as the woman claimed, "Denial is the first sign!"

Glynda, have "a thing" for Ozpin?

Absurd.

"So, I heard Ozpin and you talking the other day," Peach started.

"Eavesdropping is impolite," Glynda said, visibly annoyed.

Ignoring Glynda's comment, Peach continued, unfazed, "Did he invite you to dinner?"

"No."

"Liar."

Glynda clenched her jaw. "Yes, Miss Peach, he did, to discuss how the teams from other kingdoms are doing."

"Ah yes, _discussing_ ," Peach agreed sarcastically.

"Such as Team SSSN and Team ABRN from Haven Academy in Mistral," Glynda growled.

"You could have done all that from his office."

"I _assume_ he wished to avoid _interruptions_ from nosy _professors_ ," Glynda snapped pointedly.

"That hasn't stopped anything from happening in his office before," Peach pointed out in a _very_ implicating voice.

"Miss Peach!" Glynda snapped.

Peach gave a light laugh. "Did you _discuss_ anything... else?" she asked suggestively.

"No, Miss Peach," Glynda sighed.

Peach laughed. "Do you wish you would have?"

"No," Glynda said firmly. "Drop it, Miss Peach. Nothing happened, nothing will _ever_ happen, and this _hobby_ of yours is _quite_ pointless."

"Do you wish something _would_ happen?" the young woman asked, grinning.

" _No_ , Miss Peach."

"Oh, Glynda," Peach said pleasantly and Glynda stiffened at the use of her first name. "The entire staff just _knows_ there's _something_ between you and our... _respectable_ Headmaster." Peach grinned, enjoying being able to rile the stern woman with only a handful of deliberately insinuating comments.

"Miss Peach," Glynda said firmly, standing. "That is enough. I refuse to listen while you mock our Headmaster. The _relationship_ between Professor Ozpin and I is strictly business, and that is all it will ever be."

Peach only laughed, practically prancing away from Glynda's desk and to the door. She cast one last cheerful comment over her shoulder before departing.

"Do you wish it were more?"

There was along pause, while Glynda stood silently.

 _Did_ she?

 **A/N: I wrote this a few months ago but never actually published it, and since it tied into the events of _A Thousand Words_ (the reason Glynda is Ruby's favorite teacher) I figured I'd just add it as a second chapter. It's pretty short, too though, so I think it fits better as just an extra scene with some more implied Ozglyn. Hope you all enjoyed it!**

 **~hiddenheart**


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